CHAPTER ELEVEN #2
Once off the elevator, they made their way to the nurse's station and again, Franks let Amy do the talking.
"We were hoping to be able to speak with Spencer Tims, Lisa Welch, Mary Oswald, and Elliot Cartson," Amy told her as she showed her badge.
"Elliot is in critical condition and is still unconscious, but the other three are available.
They are all heavily medicated, so I'm not sure how much information you can get from them.
" The nurse scribbled down some information on a sticky note, then handed it to Amy.
"Names and room numbers. Please try to keep them calm and if they're tired or ask you to leave, don't push them. "
"We promise to be quick." Amy smiled. "Thanks." She turned to Franks. "Spencer is in room four-ten."
"I can't decide if burns are better than what Angus got or not," Franks whispered.
"Worse if you ask me." Amy rubbed her hands down her arms. "Fire has always scared me." She paused at the open door of Spencer's room.
Franks looked in and smiled at the young man who was looking at them.
"Spencer, I'm Detective Burns, and this is Detective Franks. Are you up to answering a few questions about last night?"
Spencer nodded. He looked to be in his mid-to-late twenties, and was thin with pale skin and bright red eyebrows.
The rest of his head was shaven, and several bandages covered spots on his scalp.
He had his arm resting beside him, also covered in bandages.
"I'm not sure what I can tell you. I don't remember a lot. "
"That's okay. We're just trying to get a feel for how things were right before the explosion. You are a cook there, right?"
"Yeah, I was on salads. That's probably what saved my life.
I was toward the back area of the kitchen.
" He nodded to his arm. "Something that was burning flew back and landed on my arm once I was on the ground, and it caught my hair on fire.
I managed to get that out, but my arm is pretty badly burned. "
Franks noted the bruising and abrasions all over Spencer's face and neck. He pulled out his small notebook and a pen. "Do you recall anything odd happening right before the explosion? Anything that seemed out of the ordinary?"
"No, but it's so busy back there that I wouldn't notice much.
At that time of night, we're so busy getting food out that we don't have time to focus on anything else.
I'd just gone to get more lettuce out of the walk-in.
I'd just gotten three more orders. The next thing I know, I'm on the ground, my hair is on fire, and there are flames everywhere.
I panicked and started running my hands over my head.
That was when I noticed my arm was burned.
I'm not sure what fell on it, but they think whatever did caught my hair on fire as well.
When I moved to put my hair out, I tossed whatever was on my arm off.
I didn't even realize how badly I was hurt until I was out the back door and away from the building. "
"So you went out the back?" Amy asked.
"Yeah, my first thought was to go to the delivery door that led to the alley in the back, but the whole wall was gone.
I just kept going, trying not to trip over everything or get into the massive flames that were everywhere.
" Spencer sighed. "The whole place was destroyed.
I saw people on fire, but I was so scared I didn't dare go to them.
Several of us made it out, and when we looked back, the whole back of the restaurant was on fire. "
"Do you remember seeing anyone around who shouldn't have been there?" Franks asked, already knowing that in the confusion, it was unlikely that anyone would notice something like that.
"No, just a few cooks, and some of the wait staff.
Two of the dishwashers were bleeding and I went over to help them.
It wasn't long before the fire department was there, and I was being rushed off in an ambulance.
I had no idea how severe my burns were until I got here.
My arm is pretty messed up. They say my head should heal, but I might have bald patches where hair won't grow back.
" Spencer closed his eyes. "I guess I'm one of the lucky ones.
I heard that Chef Tom died, and so did a couple others I worked with. "
Amy nodded. "Sadly, there have been eight deaths so far."
Spencer's eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Do they know what caused it?"
"Not yet, but a lot of people are working to find out," Amy promised him. "Had there been any issues with any of the equipment that you knew about?"
"No. We had a sink clog earlier in the day, but other than that, nothing.
I mean, I might not have heard about something, but no one told me anything last night.
It was a normal night. Nothing was different or seemed off.
Chef Tom seemed a bit more tense than usual, but that wasn't completely uncommon.
He never took it out on us or anything, but he'd get quiet when he was upset about something.
Normally, during prep, he tells jokes and makes everyone laugh.
Last night, he was fully focused on dinner.
Again, not unheard of, but he was quiet enough I noticed.
I figured he'd had a fight with his wife. "
"What made you think that?" Franks asked, his interest spiking.
"She'd come in right as we started dinner prep, and they went into his office.
He'd seemed in a good mood until then, but when he came back, that was when he went quiet.
Again, he never said anything, and he treated the staff okay, but when you work with someone long enough, you can kind of sense their moods.
" Spencer reached for a large cup of water with his good arm and took a sip.
"How long have you worked there?" Franks asked.
"Three years. I started as a dishwasher in high school.
It was because of Chef Tom that I started taking culinary classes.
I want to own a place like Desorio's one day.
" Spencer looked at his arm. "I'm hoping this doesn't cause any problems for me.
They say I'll have scars but should heal and have normal use of it. "
"I hope you have a full recovery," Amy told him. "Can you think of anything else we should know?"
Spencer shook his head. "Not that I can think of. It was just like any night at work, until it wasn't."
"We'll let you rest. Thanks for talking to us. If you think of anything else we should be aware of, give us a call." Amy set her card on the small rolling table beside the bed. "I'll look forward to eating at your restaurant someday."
Spencer grinned. "Thanks."
Franks followed Amy out of the room. "Next?"
"Mary Oswald." Amy pointed to a door down the hall.
Franks followed, hoping someone would give them something to work with. Right now, all he could focus on was what was happening back in Angus's hospital room and trying hard not to feel guilty for not being there with him.